GEORGE TOWN, March 12 — The Penang government has cancelled this year’s George Town Heritage Celebration and George Town Festival scheduled for July in a bid to contain the Covid-19 outbreak.

State Tourism, Arts, Culture and Heritage Committee chairman Yeoh Soon Hin said all programmes planned for both events would be carried forward to next year.

"Both events were scheduled to be held in July to celebrate George Town’s 12th anniversary as a Unesco (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) World Heritage Site and would have involved thousands of local as well as foreign artistes, crew members, local contractors and project teams.

"These events would also have been attended by hundreds of thousands of families and individuals wishing to explore George Town to appreciate the richness and beauty of its arts, culture and heritage. As such, it will be difficult for the organiser to track every participant and visitor’s move while the close interaction will only heighten the risk of spreading the virus,” he said in a statement today.

He added that the move was in line with the statement issued by the World Health Organisation (WHO) yesterday declaring Covid-19 a pandemic. — Bernama